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This is a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on CD-ROM for Windows PCs. It comes with a PowerPoint viewer meaning you don’t need to have that installed.

This manual is the product of almost fifteen years of research during various Randori Seminars and Intensives. Clips contain video footage of Ledyard Sensei and students taken during these events.

The manual is organized as a linear storybook (no table of contents) with sections on The Principles of Randori, “Moving Zen,” Past Events to Present Instant to Future Probabilities, Isolate and Clarify the Principles, Randori is Controlling Time, Techniques for Randori, Randori Ukemi, Movement Principles (Working the Centers, Working the Spaces, and Working the Edges), The Rhythm of Randori, Starting the Randori, Changing Levels, Moving between Ukes, Combining the Elements, and Conclusion.

My only complaint is the audio quality of some of the video mpeg presentations, there is often some background noise.

I posted this a while ago on the \"Video Reviews\" section, and thought I\'d repost it here:

I was fortunate enough to attend one of George Ledyard Sensei\'s weapons and randori intensives in January of 2004. The intensive consisted of 4 days of concentrated training in Soatome Sensei\'s weapons system, and a study of Ledyard Sensei\'s approach to Randori. Originally I went mostly for the weapons (being fairly new to the ASU I wanted to get some focused instruction on the Kumi-Tachi), but was pleasantly surprised to find how much I got out of the Randori portion of the intensive.
The intensive is aptly named...the training is very focused and intense. Ledyard Sensei and his students take a very serious and practical approach to Aikido, being particularly focused on the application of movement, timing, and principles, not just rote repetition of techniques. Stress is placed on the \"why\" a particular movement or principle works within a technique or situation, not just the \"how\". If something doesn’t seem to be working, one is encouraged to experiment and figure out why or why not.
This practical approach to Aikido has lead Ledyard Sensei to develop a very systematic method to teaching randori. He very thoroughly covers this approach in “The Principles of Randori Video Manual”. His approach is organized into a set of principles. He labels these principles: working the centers, working the spaces, and working the edges. By studying and using these principles, one can develop a flexible repertoire to draw from in dealing with the dynamic environment of randori. The application of the principles to various changing situations within randori is thoroughly explained in text and demonstrated with video clips. Ledyard Sensei also delves into the fluid and ever changing atmosphere of randori through an explanation of the flow of time; how one must be cognizant of one’s present moment but not fixated upon it, aware of how each movement and chosen technique sets up the next moment in time and interaction with the next “attacker” or uke. Another aspect of Ledyard Sensei’s method deals with the actual techniques chosen for the randori. He demonstrates how these chosen techniques relate to the use of the various principles, and the relationship of the techniques to creating time and space for nage. How to deal with the initial opening of a randori as the attackers begin to “collapse” or “coalesce together” onto nage is demonstrated, and how one can use this to set up a useful opening sequence to start one’s randori when dealing with empty handed attacks. Techniques for dealing with weapon’s randori (i.e. surrounded by three attackers with shinai or bokken) is shown as well. Other aspects demonstrated are the importance of ukemi and uke’s role within the randori, and the different approaches to striking and grabbing randori. If you can’t make one of Ledyard Sensei’s randori intensives, this is the next best thing. His systematic approach and detailed, understandable explanation of randori are well presented in the Video Manual. The format of a PowerPoint presentation is novel and very useful as well. It is very easy to navigate through, and review the various slides and videos. I highly recommend this product to anyone seeking to better their randori practice and/or get a new view on approaches to dealing with multiple attackers.

Michael Young

BTW, this product is available through Ledyard Sensei\'s Dojo\'s website at www.aikieast.com.